PHOENIX - Orlando Cabrera claims the media tried making his life miserable when he was playing shortstop for the White Sox last year.

Other than that, he has no regrets when looking back on his one decidedly stormy season on the South Side.

"I was happy with the job I did, and the fact we went to the playoffs was awesome, especially compared to the season (72-90) they had the year before," Cabrera said Sunday in a wide-ranging interview with the Daily Herald.

"It was a great experience. I played with guys that are going to the Hall of Fame (Jim Thome and Ken Griffey Jr.) and that will always make me feel good."

Acquired in a trade from the Angels before the 2008 season, Cabrera played in 161 games for the Sox and batted .281 with 8 home runs and 57 RBI.

There's no question he helped get the White Sox to the postseason, but the 34-year-old shortstop will likely be more remembered for twice trying to contact the official scorer to get error calls overturned and making lightning-quick exits out of the postgame clubhouse.

Cabrera shook his head when asked to reflect on his short stay with the White Sox.

"I just don't know what was so wrong about anything that I did," he said. "I let my work on the field decide what you guys (media) were going to do. I still don't know what was so wrong about what I did. I'm not a media guy.

"For 161 games, I did what I was asked to do. If I did it the wrong way, I don't know. Nobody told me the whole year that I was doing anything wrong. No regrets."

Cabrera was asked about playing for White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen.

"It was a good experience," he said. "It was a good experience. I learned a lot from that experience. But my team went to the postseason and that's all I care about."

Cabrera said he has no regrets about declining salary arbitration from the Sox. Instead, he waited until March 6 before agreeing to a one-year, $4 million deal with Oakland.

Nursing a bad back, Cabrera didn't play for the A's in Sunday's Cactus League game against the White Sox.

"It was a decision that was made way before last season ended," Cabrera said. "The whole time I was there (Chicago), I was thinking about free agency. I think it was the right move for me. But it was a weird market, a strange market. I got good offers before December, but I didn't think the teams involved were going to be in contention."